Growing old is an
inescapable fact of life: we are born, we grow up, grow old, and eventually
die. Facing our twilight years, however,
does not need to be a miserable proposition.
With roughly one in six Australians part of a growing population of
elderly citizen all over the age of retirement, modern residential aged care
facilities have evolved to become places where the frail and elderly can look
forward to living out their declining years in relative comfort and even happiness.
Tailor Fit
If it has become
necessary to secure residential aged care for a loved-one, it is important to
locate a facility specifically tailored to the needs of the elderly person
involved. Because of Australia’s growing
elderly population, the number and type of residential aged care facilities has
also grown to address the their needs, and selecting the right nursing home and
making the right arrangements is hardly a simple task. It is the intent of this aged care guide to assist you in
making that choice.
A certain hard-nosed
practicality when it comes to selecting the right aged care facility goes a
long way. It is important to keep in
mind your elderly loved-one’s special and specific needs. Their particular medical conditions must play
an important part in your decision-making process. Not all facilities, for example, are set up
to properly handle patients with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, so it is important
to take this into consideration when choosing a residential aged care facility
for your loved-one.
At-Home Care
If you would prefer to
keep your loved-one at home (again, depending on any medical or other
considerations they might have) then it might be possible to hire instead the
services of a care provider who will come in and look after their needs.
Again, it cannot be
stressed enough that the patient’s situation and medical condition must be
carefully considered. Additionally, many
factors about the house itself (can the patient still go up and down stairs without
assistance? Do they need assistance
getting around or manipulating the environment?
Do they need help with the house- and yard work?) can contribute to
whether or not this option is a practical consideration.
Ultimately, it may be necessary to consider
palliative care for your elderly loved-one.
This is often a heartbreaking decision, as palliative care indicates
that they are unlikely to get better.
Palliative care arrangements, however, insure that they are getting the
care and treatment they need to make their final decline a dignified and even a
comfortable one.
By asking the right questions and making sure that the solution you choose
for your loved-one meets their medical, lifestyle, and situational needs, it is
possible to find the best option when it comes to aged care facilities and
services for them. Advances in geriatric
care are constantly changing the face of residential aged care, making our
loved-ones’ facing their twilight years an increasingly pleasant, dignified,
and comfortable prospect.
